The Emperor Hotel in Happy Valley has been in the limelight since the opening of Pink Mao Mao, now one of the favourite places for celebrities (and wannabe celebs) to drink the night away. But as crowds flock in and out of the bar every night, Golden Valley - a Cantonese restaurant on the floor below - appears to go almost unnoticed.
A staircase in the middle of the hotel lobby leads to the entrance of the restaurant. The interior was much smaller than we had expected, but was carefully decorated to create a strong ethnic flavour and a cosy ambience. On our visit on a recent Friday evening, many of the diners opted for hotpot as the weather was turning cold. But as hotpot was easy enough to prepare at home, we decided to sample some of the dishes instead.
One of my guests started with double-boiled consomme with fish maw and black mushrooms ($50 per person). It seemed an impressive choice, with generous portions of the ingredients presented in a clear broth. But the mushrooms and fish maw failed to infuse their flavours into the broth, which was slightly over-salted. Braised garoupa balls with seasonal vegetables ($90) came piping hot in a casserole and were delicious. The fresh fish had been deep-fried to give a crunchy texture, and enlivened with shredded pork and mushrooms. Deep-fried bean curd and vegetables helped to balance the overall taste of the dish.
Chicken with Yunnan ham and black mushrooms ($100 for half), however, was not as enjoyable. The meat was tender but too fatty, and the Yunnan ham was so salty it overwhelmed the natural flavours of the other ingredients. Pea shoots with crab meat ($100) also disappointed. The crab meat topping suffered an overdose of salt, while the pea shoots were slightly overcooked. Dinner for three, including Chinese tea and service charge, was $445.
1/F, The Emperor (Happy Valley) Hotel, 1 Wang Tak Street, Happy Valley. Tel: 2961 3330. Open: 9am-10pm. $$